What breaks most · 1990 to 2019 model years
Honda Odyssey problems by year
Owners have filed 8,386 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Honda Odyssey across model years 1990 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2002 for powertrain and transmission complaints, 2003 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 2005 for body and structure complaints. The quietest years are 1994, 1990 and 2017.
- Years to check closely: 2002, 2003, 2005
- Fewest complaints: 1994, 1990, 2017
- Complaints on file
- 83861990 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 2002931 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 369102 fires · 512 injuries · 12 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 75kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 163Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Seat belts (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Fuel system (1) | |
| 95 | 2 | 1 | Air bags (27) | |
| 69 | 4 | 1 | Air bags (23) | |
| 19 | 2 | 3 | Electrical system (9) | |
| 65 | 2 | 4 | Electrical system (32) | |
| 506 | 10 | 9 | Powertrain and transmission (168) | |
| 656 | 23 | 6 | Powertrain and transmission (227) | |
| 579 | 16 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (329) | |
| 931 | 41 | 10 | Powertrain and transmission (603) | |
| 889 | 49 | 15 | Powertrain and transmission (526) | |
| 551 | 38 | 13 | Powertrain and transmission (214) | |
| 786 | 19 | 9 | Body and structure (129) | |
| 648 | 25 | 4 | Steering (122) | |
| 754 | 35 | 5 | Brakes (hydraulic) (137) | |
| 461 | 34 | 5 | Body and structure (116) | |
| 168 | 6 | 4 | Body and structure (57) | |
| 188 | 11 | 2 | Body and structure (35) | |
| 191 | 9 | 5 | Electrical system (60) | |
| 173 | 11 | 5 | Brakes (51) | |
| 133 | 11 | 6 | Brakes (52) | |
| 206 | 6 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (54) | |
| 106 | 5 | 6 | Powertrain and transmission (21) | |
| 74 | 7 | 6 | Seats (19) | |
| 8 | 1 | 2 | Unknown or other (2) | |
| 105 | 1 | 16 | Electrical system (36) | |
| 22 | 1 | 20 | Engine (5) |
What fails on the 2002 Honda Odyssey
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 65% |
603 | 4 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2002 Honda Odyssey |
| Air bags | 9% |
85 | 20 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 6% |
54 | 6 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2002 Honda Odyssey |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 4% |
40 | 2 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2002 Honda Odyssey |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 3% |
32 | 5 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2002 Honda Odyssey |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 3% |
32 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2002 Honda Odyssey |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 3% |
25 | 3 | Shop engine parts for the 2002 Honda Odyssey |
| Latches and locksDoor latches and actuators | 3% |
24 | 0 | Shop latches and locks parts for the 2002 Honda Odyssey |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
3rd gear has completely worn out, it slips when trying to shift into 3rd gear. Transmission has been opened and 3rd gear clutch pack is completely worn out and spring is warped and was stuck in 3rd clutch drum. Transmission failure
-
Can't accelerate from 20 mph to 30 mph. Only has 104,000 miles on the vehicle. Took the car to the dealer who said transmission failed and it would cost over $4,000 to fix it. This is totally wrong from the manufacturer. HONDA should pay for it. See attached diagnostic invoice from the dealer.
-
We were out if town when our van's driver's side sliding door wouldn't close and it came off the track and i caught it luckily. We had to rig it up and drive it home. Only to find out it's a common issue.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Honda Odyssey years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2002, 2003, 2005 carry the most filings on the Honda Odyssey. The 2002 alone has 931 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Honda Odyssey problem?
On the 2002 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 603 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Honda Odyssey problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Honda Odyssey complaints that include mileage is about 75,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.